NMELC seeking Staff Attorney

The New Mexico Environmental Law Center, a nonprofit public interest law office seeks an attorney to represent New Mexico’s communities, environmental groups, indigenous communities and tribal governments in their efforts to protect their air, land, water and public health. Responsibilities include advocating for clients in local, state and federal forums. Our casework is throughout New Mexico.

Minimum of five years of experience, including litigation before administrative agencies and courts required. New Mexico bar membership and experience in water law preferred. Competitive nonprofit salary DOE and generous benefits. The Law Center is an equal opportunity employer. Send a cover letter, resume, writing sample and three references to Yana Merrill at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 1405 Luisa Street, Suite 5, Santa Fe, N.M 87505. Applications will be received until the position is filled. No telephone calls please. Further details available at http://www.nmelc.org/employment.

PARALEGAL Position Available

The New Mexico Environmental Law Center is currently accepting applications for a paralegal to assist and provide legal support to our attorneys.

This individual must have three or more years of experience as a paralegal. Must be articulate, have strong communications skills, an organized team player with excellent grammar and writing skills. This person must exercise strong attention to detail and accuracy and be able to meet deadlines. Must have the ability to multi-task and be willing to support multiple attorneys. Must have experience conducting research on Lexis-Nexis and be proficient using MS Office Suite. Having a paralegal certification is a plus.

Augustin Plains Ranch Water Grab Hearing

Public Hearing on December 13th

The Office of the State Engineer (OSE) has scheduled a hearing on two motions for summary judgment in regards to the Augustin Plains Ranch application to appropriate 54,000 acre feet per year of groundwater in the San Augustin Basin for bulk commercial sale and for municipal uses. The New Mexico Environmental Law Center filed one motion on behalf of its clients and the Catron County Board of County Commissioners filed the other motion.

2017 Mother Earth, Father Sky Lecture Series Begins

Join us as we celebrate our 15th annual series of Mother Earth, Father Sky, produced and hosted by Southwest Seminars to honor and acknowledge the New Mexico Environmental Law Center. This is a public program graciously assisted by Hotel Santa Fe, a Picuris Pueblo enterprise. See full schedule of speakers or get PDF of schedule.

Monday evenings, October 23 - December 18. Lectures begin at 6 PM. $96 for the series, or $15 at the door; first come, first served.

Santolina Strikes Again

We continue to fight approval of mega-development west of Albuquerque

In June, we told you about a tremendous victory that we won in state Court in this case: the judge reversed Santolina’s zone change from “Agricultural” to “Planned Community”.
We need you to help stop this juggernaut! Please join us at the Bernalillo County Commission’s next hearing on Santolina!

WHEN: Tuesday, August 15 at 5pm. Hearing to be continued on August 30 if necessary.

Despite this ruling – which voids all of the subsequent decisions on the project – Bernalillo County is moving forward with hearings on the proposal’s Level B.1 plan. Worse, it’s considering an ill-advised plan by the developer to shove the proof-of-water requirements that Santolina should have done during its Level A and Level B phases down to the Level C phase.

Martinez Administration Moves to Weaken Water Rules

Water polluters look for a final hurrah under pro-industry governor…but NMELC, Amigos Bravos and the Gila Resources Information Project are standing in their way – and we need your help!

Over the past year, Staff Attorney Jaimie Park has challenged an attempt by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) to weaken statewide rules governing the quality of groundwater and surface water. The timing could not be more important, as the Trump administration launches an all-out assault on federal water regulations. Here’s how NMED is looking to weaken the rules that protect your water…

Is a healthy environment a human right? Testing the idea in Appalachia

Do we have a fundamental right to breathe clean air, drink clean water and eat safe food? The idea of environmental human rights is receiving growing attention worldwide, driven by our global ecological crisis. But the United States has lagged behind in codifying these rights into laws and in successfully furthering them.

While this may seem like an issue for legal scholars, it has very real importance for regions like Appalachia, where I work. Coal mining has caused widespread ecological and health damage here for more than a century, alongside other industries such as chemical manufacturing and, recently, natural gas production. Phys.Org

Bernalillo County Planning Commission Ignores Water Requirements

The Bernalillo County Planning Commission voted on Wednesday (June 7) to recommend approval of the Santolina’s request to strip water requirements from its Level B approvals. Developer, Western Albuquerque Land Holdings (WALH) has asked the County to disregard mandatory water requirements in its approval process because it does not yet have a necessary water agreement with the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority.

At Wednesday’s Planning Commission meeting, commissioners considered WALH’s formal request to remove conditions that require it to prove that the development has water before it can obtain its Level B approvals. The Planning Commission’s recommendation now goes to the Bernalillo County Commission.

NMELC, its clients and allies vow to continue the fight against this ill-advised mega-development.

NMELC asks for clarification on Santolina Judgement

Our clients (including SouthWest Organizing Project and Pajarito Village Association) won an important victory on June 2 when state District Court Judge Nancy Franchini ruled that the 2015 Santolina approval process was flawed.

Judge Franchini’s decision reverses and remands the Bernalillo County Commission’s (BCC’s) approval of the project’s “Zone Map Amendment,” which changed the zoning for the developer’s site from “A-1 Rural-Agricultural” to “Planned Community”. This step was required before any other approval steps could be taken by the BCC.

On Tuesday, June 6, attorneys for the Law Center submitted a memorandum asking the Judge to clarify her decision.

Welcome to the new way a developer tries to game the system

Santolina developers try to disconnect land use from water

In the 1990s, Bernalillo County adopted an ordinance that lays out very specific requirements for developers seeking to build master-planned communities. Key among them are rules that developers must show that they have both “wet” water and water rights for their projects.

It just makes sense that massive proposed developments like Santolina (which promises housing for 90,000 people and industry for 75,000 jobs) should have to demonstrate that they have adequate amounts water for these new communities.

Taking on a Global Problem …right here in New Mexico

Water speculators meet stiff resistance from the Law Center

Multinational corporations are working across the world to speculate in and privatize water supplies; despite strong laws and policies preventing speculation in New Mexico, water rights developers are eying our aquifers with a focus on profit.

But they’re having a tough time succeeding with the Law Center in their way.

Case in point: last month, Staff Attorney Jon Block and volunteer attorney Paul Hultin asked a state District Court to throw out a water grab case in the East Mountains of Albuquerque.

Residents Expand Fight Against Water Speculation in East Mountains

SANTA FE, N.M. – Residents of the communities in the East Mountains of Albuquerque, NM, have asked a judge to compel disclosure of the attorneys’ fees and costs of Aquifer Science, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of water development company PICO Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: PICO) that seeks to obtain water rights in the East Mountains.

The non-profit New Mexico Environmental Law Center (NMELC) filed the motion for its clients—Deep Well Protest, San Pedro Creek Estates, and North 14—asserting that the fees and costs highlight the fact that PICO and its shell companies Vidler New Mexico and Campbell Farming Corporation (the owners of Aquifer Science) are merely water speculators with no real plan to put the water to beneficial use.

Sprawling Santolina, Chapter 2

With your support, Law Center Attorneys Jaimie Park and Doug Meiklejohn and our clients have begun a new fight in the case to protect water and taxpayer dollars from the proposed 90,000-person Santolina mega-development slated for the west side of Albuquerque.

Keeping Residents Safe from Uranium

McKinley County Residents Advocate for protections from uranium

As a result of dogged persistence on the part of uranium-impacted residents, the McKinley County Commission promised to create a blue ribbon task force to examine how the County should address possible uranium mining in the future.

Residents to Weigh in on Uranium Ordinance

Commission reverses effort to bury ordinance, Special meeting March 14

With help from the Law Center and its members, affected community members have a chance to push for a three year moratorium on uranium mining in McKinley County. Click to read meeting noticeA special meeting on uranium mining is scheduled before the McKinley County Commission on Tuesday, March 14 at 1:30 pm.

This meeting comes after the Law Center threatened to sue the Commission for violating the state’s Open Meetings Act. In violation of the law, the commission had put the moratorium on the agenda of a little-publicized meeting on January 3; after telling community advocates that the moratorium would be heard on January 10. See case page.

NMELC IN THE PRESS

Santolina development takes another step forward

The County Planning Commission and county staff had recommended approval, although opponents of the project appealed the planning commission’s decision. That appeal was denied on the same 3-2 vote.

Jaimie Park, an attorney with the New Mexico Environmental Law Center, who argued on behalf of SouthWest Organizing Project and other Santolina opponents, said the developer had failed to provide critical information to determine whether the development would truly result in no net expense to the county, which is one of the conditions. Strozier countered that the no net expense requirement had been addressed by both county staff and an outside firm hired by the county. Albuquerque Journal

Supporting environmental group is of the utmost importance

The NMELC is an advocate for all that makes New Mexico a wonderful place to live: healthy communities, a well-functioning environment, social and environmental justice…Our organization, the Augustin Plains Challenge, is determined to make sure that decision-makers know that a lot matters besides lining corporate investors’ pockets. This project jeopardizes the viability of a thriving ranching community. NMELC stands on the front line with us, helping to safeguard our future. NMPolitics.net

PRESS RELEASES

Special Hearing on Santolina Despite Unanswered Questions

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Bernalillo County Commission (BCC) will hold a special hearing on Tuesday, August 15 to consider several issues concerning the Santolina mega-development proposed west of Albuquerque.

This “Level B” process marks the last time under the county’s Planned Communities Criteria process that the BCC will be able to consider—or the public will be able to weigh in on—this part of largest development ever proposed for the county.

WHAT: Bernalillo County Commission Hearing on Santolina developmentWHEN: Tuesday, August 15 at 5:00 pm. (To be continued on August 30 if necessary).WHERE: Vincent E. Griego Chambers, City/County Building, One Civic Plaza, NW [Map]

Commission to Consider Santolina Despite Unanswered Questions

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Bernalillo County Commission (BCC) has scheduled a hearing on Tuesday, August 15 for the proposed Santolina Level B.1 Master Plan. At that meeting, the Commission will also consider a recommendation by the County Planning Commission that the BCC strip proof-of-water conditions for the development.

The Level B process marks the last time under the county’s Planned Communities Criteria process that the Bernalillo County Commission will be able to consider, or the public will be able to weigh in on, the largest development ever proposed for the county.

WHAT: Bernalillo County Commission Hearing on Santolina developmentWHEN: Tuesday, August 15 at 5:00 pm. (To be continued on August 30 if necessary).WHERE: Vincent E. Griego Chambers, City/County Building, One Civic Plaza, NW [Map]